'.. .L n ..
.. V ,.~
. Ixloaroigk, Dec. 16.
.On Friday last a (lell1l«§_llIneI.]‘t.Q_f' thc_,Prir_icess_
Anne militia, consisting of 140 infantry and cav-
alry, calledrout by virtue of a warrant from _the
civil _a_utliorj_ty, rendeavousetl at Kempsville, and
from thence seto if, in squads, to scour the differ-
ent swzimps and forests between that-placeand
the southern edge of the county, in search ofthe
.. .1.
gang of desperadoes who have so long kept that.
part of the country in at state of .31=l1'm- _ _
‘ . The ‘murder of Taggert, following, immedi-
ately after the perpetration of several other acts
of flagrant violence and depredation, hasten'ed
this movement, which ought to have been made
at least six months ago, when the ' public peace
first required it. . r
The troops made a tiresome and diflicult search
until a late hour of the night, when they assem-
bledin the neighborhood of Pungo Chapel, with-
out finding out any trace of the fugitives. The
next morning they aggiiri dispersed in small par-
ties, to. renew the search. A party of three were
in the course of the day, fallen in with by a white
roan by the name of Cox, who stated he was inti-
mate with one of the runaways named Mingo,
and would engage to deliver him into their pow-
er, if they would secrete themselves in his house.
“To this they agreed’, and were conrlucteclby Cox
,to the upper apartment of his cabiia, when he went
out and presently returned with Mingo, who ap-
peared to be perfectly at home with Cox, and
., they drank together as old acquaintances. It be-
"ing the object of Cox to overcome Mingo with
li_quor, he took care to ply him with it until he
.' thought he had produced the desired effect.
A, The black in a very short time, (according to
the Pungo phrase) ‘waxed warm in the collar,’
and, in a fit‘ of extiltation, stepped out with his
, musket (a weapon he always carried) ‘and fired a
feu-de-joie. on account of his escape from the
soldiers ; he took very good c2ire,,;_howevei', to re-
load it again : but Cox contrived to get it in his
‘possession, and placed it out of the fellow’s reach.
Cox then made a signal which brought down the
three militia-men from their concealment, but in
their attempt to secure the black, he drew a dirk
and wounded one of them severely ; and even
after they had tied him, he made a violent‘ effort.
and wounded his friend Cox with his teeth and
nails. A
Mingo formerly belonged to Mr. John James
in of Princess Anne, but was sold by’ that gentle-
, man to a Georgia-man, from whom he ran away,
and had been lurking about the swamps of Prin-
cess Anne for many months previous to his cap-
ture. His ferocity and frequent depredations on
the farms in the vicinity of his cruising ground,
have given list: to many strange stories ziiiiung
the inhabitants of that part of the county, which
would ‘furnish out a volume of no sma~.ll dimen-
sions, and no little interest.
Finding himself fairly entrapped and without
a possibility of escape, he begged that rather‘
than he shouldhbe delivered up to his master, he
might be turned loose and thirty of the soldiers
be ordered to fire at him. Vv'hen questioned
whether he had any handin the murder of 'i‘a§;-
gart, he answered in the negative, but stated tit"-at
a companion of his, named Ned, was the mur-
derer ; that Harper Ackiss offered him $lO0 and
Ned $100’ to do the deed, that he refused, but
that Ned consented, and he saw Ned shoot Tag-
gart while he was letting his horse drink at a run
. in the road.
Other interro;;-.itorics were put to him respect-
. . . . l .
ing his agency in other criminaltransactions, and
I he confessed that he was the person who set fire
to a Mr. Capp’s hay stacks, and that he was one
of the party who afterwards set the same Mr.
Capp’s smoke house on fire, and that when Mr.
C. came to put it out, he and his companions fi-
red four muskets at him. He also acknowledg-
ed that it was him who fired a musket at Mr. \V.
Land, who in return fired at him and grazed his
head.
This fellow is now in Princess Anne jail; a
cloud of evidence we are told is hovering over
his devoted head, and the gallows will probably
terminate his career ; but no disclosure that he
can make, (being a colored person and a slave) re-
specting the murder of Taggart will affect the
trial of Ackiss, who stands coinmitted as the ins-
tigator of that horrid transaction ; and wlietlicr
the legal evidence against him will amount to a
capital conviction, time must determine. \-Ve
understand that a body of the militia are still
kept in pursuit of Ned, who Mingo says has ta-
ken up his cruizing ground in the neighborhood
of Kempsville. It may be enquired, why has
not a strong guard of the militia of Norfolk coun-
ty been called out to co-operate with those of
Princess Ann ? It is notorious that a formidable
, gang of these ruffians occupy the positions along
the southern boundary of Norfolk county. from
Black VVatei' to North It-‘est Riverllridge, and
that many atrocities have been committed by
‘them on the inhabitants of the adjacent country.
We learn from a gentleman residing in that part
of the county, that about three months ago, a
poor neighbor of his, who cultivated a small farm,
‘was seeking a stray horse in a contiguous swamp,
when he accidentally stumbled upon the camp of
these desperadoes, and as he supposed with be-
ing perceived by them. He returned home and
told his wife of the ilissoveryv, stating at the
same time his determination, (after finishing his
day’s work,) to go around to his neighbors and
Collect a sufficient number to apprehend the fu-
gitives. He and his wife (who assisted him in
his labors in the field) then went out to work,
which they had comm.-.:nced but a few-minutes,
when a gun was fired, by some unknown hand,
at the unl':)rtnnate husband. who received the con-
tents in.his buck——’ie ran to his wife, who was a-
bout I00 yards off and fell dead at her feet In The
xreatler must imarrine the scene which followed-—
it being too painful for us to pourtray. ‘
BOSTON, Dec. 22.
Col '!‘rumbull's Paiqwig of the Declaration of
Inrlrpendonce has been removed to the south.
v.-ai-d‘. The receipts for the-Hthree weeks, it was
xhibited in Boston, were $1701.
l
\ > ' ‘ ‘I
I
h‘ Cir-liitnr-.s'roi',1)_et";. ls} l
i Solomon Cumboand Daniel James were bro’t
up_befor.e J. H. Mitchell, Esq‘. on Saturday last,
charged with liming committed a robbery on the
highway, near this city, on the road leading to
Georgetown, and with having conspired together
with 0Ul¢*‘5i in an attempt to reb the U. States
mail. "The following are the particulars, as they -
came out onlthe examir.?atio,n‘. , i
It appeared that four '1ii‘cn, of the names of
Daniel Jarnes, John Robinson, and Jim Malone,
seaman, and John Bell, a, jewélgler by trade, left
this city on Friday evening’,_.iiii'ii_small boat, and
landed near Haddr-l’s Point, left her, and crossed.
over through the woods, to the Northern post
road, where they disgui,se_d themselves by black-
ing their faces with gunpowder, and hanging moss
round their hats, which hung down over their fa-
ces. Soon after theyv_-‘arrived at the road, Solo-
mon Cumho, who had been down to market, came
up; they stopped and robbed him of 25 dollars.
During the act, Cumbo’s horse took fright, and
ran back to the ferry, leaving him with the rub-
bers. They took him with them into the bushes.
and if the evidence of Daniel James is to be re-
lied upon, who was admitted as State’s evidence.
Cumbo joined them in eating and drinking ihro’
U16 night, and proposed to them that they should
way-lay the mail, which would pass that spot a-
bout 7 o'clock next morning, and rub it~—-stating
to them at the same time, -that he left a traveller
at the ferry house, who was to come on early in
the morning, and who had a considerable sum of
money with him, of which they might easily be-
come possessed-—He accordingly blacked his face
.as the others had done, and decorated his head
with moss. \Vhen the mail came along in the
morning, in a sulky driven by a lad of 15 or 16
years old. they all went out in the road and stop-
pcd the boy, making some inquiries of him how
soon the stage fiom Charleston migbtbe expect-
ed along, and pretending they were desirous of
f-5""‘l”.‘§ 3 llilssage in it 10 Georgetown. 'l'he_v
did not take hold of the horse, although Cumbo
zidvanced very near to his head ; but one of the
sailors told the boy they would not trouble him,
and he might drive on. James, in his deposition
before the magistrate, said it was him who gave
this order‘, as “ he conceived it would be a pity
to rob the mail, thereby breaking the chain of
correspondence throughout the Union.”
Soon after the Mailihad passed on,-the expect-
ed traveller, mentioned above, rode up-they
stopped him, andyaccording to their account, rob-
bed him ofl7 doll-ars—wl1en. getting alarmed,
the four first named retreatecl through the woods
to their boat, pushed olf.and pulled towards James
lslanrl. Cumbo immediately went down to the
Ferry, and informed that he had been robbed. as
above stated, (carefully concealing, however-.that
he had any agency in the second robbery) and
that the robbers were then pulling across the hai-
bor for the opposite shore. A ferry-boat was in-
stantly manned, into which 3 or 4 public spirited J
inhabitants of the village jumped, and pushed off
in pursuit ; but before they could overtake them,
they had landed on James Island and fled int-._i
the bushes. After some time spent in the so-.irr.l:,
one of them, Dztuicl James. came out from his
hiding place, snp_pnsing they were gone, and was
secured-—'l‘he rest liare not been taken. James
immediately charged Cumho, who had also gone
in the pursuing boat, with being an accomplice,
and with having recommended the robbery of the
mail ; and this was in part con-firmed by the dep-
osition of the post-boy, who described Combo, as
bcingdisguised like the others,and ofharing evin-
ced some disposition to stop his horse. On his
part, however. Cumbo disclaimed all intention to
participate in the robbery, and asserts that they
had made a prisoner of him, and compelled him
to take the part he did in the business.
It thus appears, that nothing but the timidity
of the parties concerned, prevented the l‘ol)bery
of the mail on this occasion ; and, if we are cor-
rectly informed, there are frequently bands of des-
peradocs infestingthat road, threatening and in-
timidating travellers, and robbing and plundering
the houses and plantations in that vicinity. Cum-
bo and James were both committed to Jail.
Dec. ‘l5.-—-Robinson, Malone, and Bell, the
three others concerned in. the above robbery,
were taken on Saturday afternoon, on James Isl-
and, and are committed to jail.
VVe learn that the gentleman who was last rob-
bed, had with him a considerable sum of money,
which wasfortunately preserved, by his having
sewed itin the lining,_of his waistcoat. The _rob-
bers plundered him of all the money he had in
his pockets, but afterwards returned him some
small change, to ‘defray his expenses to George-_, ,
town. . .
_ Noitwrcri, (Chenango) Dec. l0.
Clerical Crimc.——-An ofliciating Divine has
been committed in Broome county, for a conspi-
racy which would have loosed five marauders
from the hand of justice, but for the inverter)-
tion of one of those happy accidents which gen-
erally blast the prospects ofthe wicked. The
facts are these :---One of the criminals being ac-
quainted with tlic-olfenrler. procured his assist-
ance in some domestic ofliccs, which, with his
ministerial character, gave him nnwatched ac-
cess to their apartment. The prisoners gave
him $100 which was to be refunded in the event
ofthc enterprizc failing. The implements‘ were
conveyed into prison with some clothes, and the
scheme progressed clieerily till the over anxious‘
sons of industry commenced their evening toils
before the keeper’s family were lost in blestfor-.
gr-tfulne.s~s---'a noisewas heard, search and detec-
tion followed. A- few-more hours would have
enabled them to escape. The projector was un-
willing to relinquish his hire, as the niisfurtunt:
grew out of their own imprudence-—the prison-
ers were mad with disappointmcnt,and acting per-
fectly in character, betrayed their fellow conspi-
rator, who was apprehended and awaits his trial.
George Lizar, of Hagcrstown, Penn. has been
sentenced to 18 months solitary confinement in
the cells of the penitentiary, for the murder (in
the second degree) of his father.
C0l1grCSS6
Hoosr.’ or Ri:i>ini',smr1'.irivi:s.-
December I8.-
The Speaker laid b'efore_the house the memo-
rial o'f the Legislature of the territory of Mis-
souri, pr:ry'mg_ that the people of that territory
may be authorized to form a constitution and
state government, and admitted into the nion.
" M~ASSACHUSE' ‘TS CLAIM.
The Speaker having called over, among the
orders of the day, that on the bill providing for
the payment of the claim of the state of Massa-
chusetts, for expences incurred byher militia
during thelate war. " _' '_
Mr. Mason, of Massachtisetts, rose, and beg-
ged the indulgence of‘ the house, that the order
of the day might be passed for the present. He
made this motion at the request of the gen‘tle'men
composing the delegation from the state of Mas-
saclinsetts, who had been instructed respecting
the claim. ’The Legislature of the state would
be in session early in the month of January next,
and the delegation‘ were desirous of_ receiving
further documents and communications relative
to the claim, prior to its discussion ; but he hoped
that, in the course of the session, the subject
might be brought u,p,.and receive a full and fair
discussion.
Mr. Tvlills, of Mass. made a few remarks to the
same effect.
._l3ut, on motion of Mr. Folger, of Mass. the‘
'-House ’resn‘;s_ed itself into a committee of the
wliole on the subject, and the bill was read.
Mr. Clay (speaker) then rose, to make ‘a mo-
tion’ that the committee should ‘rise; lie was
persuaded, he said, -that the house could nothave
heard what had been stated by the honorable gen-
tleman (Mr. Mason.) who was chairman of the
committee v.vho.had reported this bill, or it would,
on the present occasion, have exercised the cour-
tesy usually shown to every chairman of a com-
mittee who reports a bill, of chasing his own
time for calling it up. It might be proper for
him to state, Mr. C. ‘said, that his opinion on this
subject did notdifi'er, probably, fro_m that of those
gentlemen who had chosen to go into committee
on the subject. But the chairman lipying sta-
ted to the house, that on a consultation of the del-
egation of the state, it had been thought proper
mmmw to go into a committee of the whole on
the subject; that he wished to have further com-
mnnica-.i'on with the government of the state on
the subject, and that he hoped, in the course of
the session, to bring the subject fully and fairly
before the House, he thought it hardly possible,
-h_-ad his remarks been heard, that the discussion
of the subject would be pressed against his wish-
cs. - ~
With regard to the merits of this claim, Mr.
C. continued, he would only say, that when the
facts were all before the House, and the question
open for discussion, gentlemen would find him
as decided in his opinion. and as firm in main-
taining it, as any other opponent of the" claim.
But, he said, a certain degree of liberality, of
cgurrcsy.‘of calm deliberation on this subject,
was due from the House, no less to itself than to
the state whose claims were the subject of con-
sideration. He hoped, when gentlemen" were
ready, however, they would enter into a full and
fair discussion of the question. But,‘if the dis-
cussion werc now to ‘proceed, and the question
to be decided, gentlemen would, have an occasion
for saying that they were hurried into. the dis-
cussion; that they were taken by Sul'pt'1St:; they
might, if he were allowed to introduce a forensic
term to explain his meaning, say that the decis-
ion of the House was a snap-judgment, rendered
without an examination of evidence, or time giv-
en, 8:c. lie hoped, therefore, the committee
might rise, to give, the gentlemen in favor of the
claim time to prepare themselves for the discus-
sion. » ~ ' '
Mr. Tallmadge, of New-York, said, as he had
been a member of the committee who reported
this bill, and had voted to proceed in the discus-
sion, he thought it proper to rise on this occasion,
lest, if silent, his views might be misconceived.
VVith respect to the courtesy due to the gentle-
man from Massachusetts, and to the state he rep-
resented, Mr. T. said, be entirely reciprocated
the sentiments of the honorable Speaker. But,
as, if the report of the committee in this case,
if not acted on at the present session, might, and
perhaps would, be adduced hereafter, as an argu-
ment in favor of the claim; and, as he thought
it probable this subject would not come before
the House at the present session, he should take
this opportunity to state, that the report_made on
this subject by the committee, was considered as
a stateiiicnt of the case in behalf of Maissachu-
sells, di-awn up by herself, as it was in fact by
her agent. The committee had thought a lib-
erality due to a state, appearing as a petitioner
before this House, to leave it to heragent, or im-
mediate representative, to make a statement of
her own case, in her own way. ‘On the question
in’ committee to, accept that report. Mr. T. said
there was a minority; and lie, for one, took this
occasion to say, that, had the discussion of this
claim now gone on, and, if it should recur‘ at the
present session, their: was a variety of collateral
documents relating to the history and merit of
these claims. which he was ready and felt it his
duty to urge in argument in opposition to allow-
ing them. Desiring, however, to cultivate har-
mony inthe Union. by treating every state in it
with due respect, he did not wish to press the
discussion now. Taking this opportunity, then,
as the only one he might ever‘ have: to protest
against the report of the committee accompany-_
'ing this bill beingcoiisidered as the deliberate
opinion of the committee, or here_al'ter brought
in as an argument in favor of the claim, being in
fact the most favorable statement that a party in-
terested could make of it, he was. for the reason
before assigned, in favor of the committce’s ris-
ing.' ’
The question was then taken on the commit-
tce’s rising, and decided in the afiirmative. ‘
_ Mr. Newton, of Virginia. in order to insure to
this question a consideration during the present
exit session,‘ pi-Efioéed -that the commit OUi!:f\
_on‘the s_tate,of‘the Union, which, alwa ving «
preference of other Orders of the day, a en.-
v
be refused leave ‘to sit again, and th' bill
should be ifeferred to a committee of hole
sure its being taken up whenever desir mg '
frie'nds of the claim.‘ "A '
Mr. Orr, 0fvMass. and Mr. l.’itkini mm,
objected to this course, as the House ,
called upon to act on the subject beforeit elei.
gation. miglit be prepared. and that it"
decided when‘ scarce half t‘lie.I-louse w
ent,‘8tc.. ‘ _ ' _ I
_O“ li“"_(l'U€5li<5n. leave was given to‘ Vi"‘o,,,-
mitee to sit on the bill again. M 1
A ' Dccc'nz‘ber 21. if '“\
Mr. Campbell, from a select co‘niinittee, or. '
ted a bill tohprovide for taking the fourth‘ we
or enumeration of the inliabiiarits of the {red
States, which was twice read and cornrnitfit
Mr. Robertson, from the select cornriiitt p-
_pGlntcd_,0n that subject, reported a bill estal_'1,-
mg a separate territorial government" for g '
southern part of the territory of Missouri, w,h
was twice read and committed. I i ' l
MI‘. Johnson, from the military commit
reported a bill ‘proposing a modification of pa »
of the staffof the army, without reducing it 3"
was twice read and committed. ' , ‘ r, ‘
The verbal amendment made bylhe Senator-
zhe bill granting a pension to M_aj-.'Gen. Starld’
was agreed to. ‘ ‘ \
res-
__ December 24-.
On_motion_of Mr. Pleasants, the naval com. ‘-
mittee were instructed to inquire into» the pro-
priety of authorising, by. law, the purchase of
timber, particularly live oak, necessary for build-
ing twenty sloops, or other ‘small vessels of war.
On motion of ;\/Ir'. Lincoln, the committee on
Indian Affairs was instructed to inquireiiito the ,
expediency of providing ,by law, that it ‘be ghc
duty of the several’ public agents employed by
the United States to transact business with the
Indian tribes, to obtain all the in-formation in their.
power relative to the poptilatiori, manners and, ’
customs,.history, languages, or any thing peculiar
to said tribes. and report the same annually to the
Secretary. of ‘War. ’
.__..—.o-”
, V.‘
or ,_ .
’ Wuslnzgzon, Dec, 22. . .
Theproposition to authorise the people ofthe ,_r ’
labama territory to form a state Government, ‘
and for its admission into the Union, was yester-
day under discussion in the Senate.’ "The bill
proposes that" the members of the Convention“
shall be apportioned according to thepresent fer-
ritorial appointment, and that the Conventi_..
shall assemble at lluntsville on the lst Monda
in July next. The population, according to-
certified copy of the census, laid before the Sen-
ate, Was, some months ago, found to be 67,00
souls-—-and hasjsince increased by emigrations ir
asnrprising degree. The sales of public lands
in the Alabama territory have been very extens-
ive, and are estimated already to have amounted
to tezi millions of do/:'_aT3. During the last year, _
it is ‘believed, the sales have exceeded foiir mil- ;.
lionsof dollars in that territory alone. i '
. Dec. ‘23. ,
Public Lands.-By a Report from the Land,
Office, in pursuance of a resol‘nt'ion of the House
of Representatives, it appears that the amount
due to the United States for purchases of the
Public Lands northwest of the river Ohio, is‘
$7,290,489. The lands sold prior to the year
l8l2, have been paid for, or have reverted to the
United States, l)t3C'-Jllst: the period of original cre- ‘
(lit, and the extension of time for payment, (three
years) have expired. The whole amount of
sales during the intermediate period have been
l4,447,675‘; and there have been received, by
the United States, $8,615,055. ‘
'—<£-'3i1'91-—-
Ex/zerlition to the Yellow! Stone Rz’ver.—Advi-
ces from Fort Osage, inform us 'that'the expedi-.
tion had arrived at that place, without accident,
and would proceed one or two hundred miles
further up the Missouri this winter. Fort 05-
age is three hnndred miles by water above the
mouth of the Missouri, and is the. present limit
of our population to the west. The safety with
which the expedition, consisting of ten boats has
ascended this stream, is an evidence that the (lan-
ger of navigating that river is more imaginary
than real. Several boats carrying pI‘o\'isiuns to
the Yellow Stone, have passed St. Louis within a
a few weeks past; one of which has been lost in
the Missouri, between St. (.‘harles and Belle Fon-
tainc.—-St. Louis jmjzcr. '
.,...».-
‘ PLATTSBURG, Dec. 12.
Much damage was done in this section of the
country, by the severe southerly wind on Sunday
last. \Ve hear from all l)L:l'lS of this and Essex
county, of barns and sheds unroofed, and of fen-
ces and timber blown down. We have been in-
formed that the road from llusworIh’sin Chester-
field to M’Neil’s Ferry, is /lierally blocked up 2"
with fallen trees; and that in many places the
path of the hurricane may be traced by the al-"'9
most indiscriminate p!'rnSll'alirin of extensive
groves of timber. ‘We have not heard of any
disasters on the water, altho’ there were some
hair breadth escapes. Numbers of fish were ‘fl
thrown upon the beach by the surf, and when the -‘
waterssubsided, remained on dry land. .
Hun/z'ng.—On the «lib inst. almtit 700 men
of the neigliboriug toxviiships, fc.-rmed a hunting
party. The signal was given on Frenchtown
;\~lountains, which was answered by all the horns
of the hunters, comprising a circuit of 40-miles,
in the space of I5 minutes. The hunters then ,
progressed towards a cent! e in \‘i'_vsox toiriisliips 7“
shooting and driving the game l)cfnl‘t:' them.“UT"
til the circle bccamc"too small to use guns with )
safety ; the animals were rheii attacked with bay-J‘ ,
onets fixed on poles, clubs, pitcli,l'oi‘l§.'s, &C. with i
such success, that nearly 300 Déeiiq-,5 Bears, 9
‘Wolves, and ll Foxes were killed. It'was cal-
culated that 500 deer, 410 bears, and 20 \vt:i\'t:S 65-
caped, together with a great numb';.-3' of snmll an-
gmals.--Scztler.
Norwalk Chronicler